dutch economy

The Dutch economy grew by 3.1 percent in 2017, the strongest growth in 10 years, Statistics Netherlands reported on Wednesday.

In the last quarter of 2017, the economy's growth decreased somewhat, but was still strong at 2.9 percent compared to the last quarter of 2016. Compared to the third quarter of 2017, the GDP grew by 0.8 percent.

Investments and exports in particular contributed to economic growth in the fourth quarter. Household consumption decreased somewhat, but the industry grew more.

The North American trade agreement NAFTA falling apart would have negative consequences for the three countries it covers - the United States, Canada, and Mexico - but not for the Netherlands, Rabobank said in a report drawn up in response to increasing uncertainty that NAFTA will survive. The agreement collapsing could give Dutch businesses a 3 billion euros boost, the bank calculates.

The Dutch economy will grow by 3.1 percent next year, according to the Netherlands central planning office for economic policy CPB. "Such growth percentages have not occurred since 2007", CPB said, NU.nl reports. "Because of the persistently high growth, there will be a boom in the coming year."

The Dutch economy continues to grow strongly, with growth of over 3 percent expected for this year and next year, according to Dutch central bank DNB's latest forecast, RTL Nieuws reports.

The economic growth will reach a peak of 3.3 percent this year, the strongest growth in 10 years, according to DNB. Next year the bank expects the economy to grow by 3.1 percent, and 2.3 percent growth is expected in 2019. "We are moving from economic recovery to economic expansion", DNB director Job Swank said, according to the broadcaster.

Monday's heavy snowfall, and the problems in traffic and productivity it caused, cost the Dutch economy around 35 million euros, according to calculations by the Economic Research Foundation and Statistics Netherlands chief economist Peter Hein van Mulligen, BNR reports.

If there is a whole business day in which no work is done in a quarter, like when Christmas falls on a week day, it costs the Netherlands' GDP 0.2 to 0.3 percent of growth, Van Mulligen said to the broadcaster. That amounts to 350 million euros the Netherlands' economy loses out on.

If the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a trade treaty, a so-called hard Brexit, the cost to the Netherlands can amount to some 4 thousand euros per working Dutchman, economists at Rabobank calculated on Thursday, NU.nl reports.

People in the Netherlands want the new Dutch government to give top priority to healthcare, according to social and cultural planning office SCP's quarterly survey of what Dutch think about the country. "45 percent of respondents put healthcare on number one", SCP spokesperson Josje den Ridder said to NOS.

For the second year in a row, the Netherlands has the most competitive economy in the European Union, and the fourth most competitive economy in the world, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The Netherlands scored particularly well because of its strong base in, for example, infrastructure and macroeconomic policy, said Erasmus University - the WEF partner organization in the Netherlands, NU.nl reports.

On Tuesday King Willem-Alexander opened the Netherlands' parliamentary year with his traditional Budget Day speech. He talked about the devastation Hurricane Irma left of the Caribbean islands that form part of the Dutch Kingdom, terrorism around the world, the prosecution of those responsible for the MH17 disaster, and making sure that everyone in the Netherlands benefits from the improving economy, among other things.

Today is the last Budget Day for the departing Rutte II cabinet. In tradition and ceremony, the day is expected to look like every other Budget Day, with politicians decked out in fancy hats, the Royals arriving at the Ridderzaal in The Hague in a carriage and the famous balcony scene after the throne speech. But given the current VVD and PvdA government's departing status, no big news is expected in the budget. Big changes are left up to the new government.

Tourism is playing a bigger and bigger part in the Dutch economy, Statistics Netherlands reported on Monday. Since 2010, tourist spending in the Netherlands increased by 27 percent. Last year the tourism sector generated an added value of 24.8 billion euros to the Dutch economy, over 43 percent more than the 17.3 billion euros generated in 2010.

The Dutch economy will grow by 2.4 percent this year and 2 percent next year, central planning office CPB expects in its latest estimation. In the previous estimation in March, the CPB expected 2.1 percent and 1.8 percent growth for 2017 and 2018 respectively, ANP reports.

Unemployment is expected to continue its decline, to 4.9 percent this year and 4.7 percent next year. The government finances also look healthy, with a surplus of 0.5 percent expected for this year and 0,7 percent for next year.

The Dutch economy will grow by 2.5 percent this year - the highest growth in a decade, Dutch central bank DNB expects. The economy is doing better in all aspects, but wages are still lagging behind, the bank said in its latest estimate on Monday, NOS reports.

DNB's expectations are rosier than the central planning office CPB's estimates in March. The CPB then predicted economic growth of 2.1 percent. The office is releasing its latest estimates on Wednesday. The Dutch government uses CPB estimates to make its policy.

This year the Royal Family will cost the government budget, and Dutch taxpayers, 41.4 million euros, according to Business Insider. That includes the "constitutional benefit" for King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix as well as expense compensation for them.

The Netherlands wants to be a permanent member of the G20 - an annual meeting of the 20 leading economies in the world. According to Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands deserves a spot on the G20 as the 17th largest economy in the world, AD reports.

"At the next G20 reshuffle, it is logical that the Netherlands will become a permanent member", Kamp said. "The next Cabinet should work on that."

The people of the Netherlands aren't very optimistic about society and the future of the country, according a quarterly report by social and cultural planning office SCP. The Dutch are mostly concerned about immigration, integration, intolerance and that society is growing harsher. They are positive about the economy however, RTL Nieuws.

The SCP did this survey early this year, before the parliamentary election on March 15th.

After years of a budget deficit, the Dutch government managed to achieve a budget surplus in 2016. And that surplus is even 14 times larger than previously expected - a massive 2.9 billion euros, according to Statistics Netherlands on Friday. The Dutch economy also gew more than expected in previous estimations, RTL Nieuws reports.

Voters will have quite a selection to choose from in the parliamentary elections next month when it comes to picking a political party based on the financial and economic choices, according to calculations by Dutch central planning office CPB. A major difference between this and last election is that the parties are focused on spending money now that the economy is recovering, instead of the 2012 election's focus on cutbacks in the aftermath of the financial crisis, NU.nl reports.

If American president Donald Trump goes through with his plan to protect the United States' industry with tariffs on imported goods and services, the Dutch economy could suffer a loss of billions of euros, according to calculations by ING Bank, Financieele Dagblad reports.

The bank based its calculations on a U.S. import duty of 10 percent. If that is the case, the Netherlands will export 3.7 billion euros less to the United States. That will result in the Dutch gross domestic product being 0.3 percent lower, according to the bank.

The Dutch economy grew by 2.1 percent in 2016, the strongest growth since 2007, according to preliminary figures Statistics Netherlands released on Tuesday. The economy of the Netherlands has shown steady growth for 11 quarters in a row, ANP reports.

In the fourth quarter of 2016 the economy grew by 0.5 percent. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2015, the growth was 2.3 percent.

A group of Dutch multinational companies signed a pact and started a "broad movement" against "encroaching populism and negativism", two representatives of the movement said to Financieele Dagblad on Saturday. This movement will not only fight negativity, but also boost the Dutch economy, they said.

Dutch central bank DNB expects the Dutch economy to grow by 2.3 percent this year, according to an estimate the bank published on Monday. This is a much higher growth than the 1.9 percent growth expected in the bank's previous estimate published in June last year, ANP reports.

For next year DNB expects economic growth of 1.7 percent, lower than the 2 percent growth expected in the previous estimate. In 2015 and 2016 the Dutch economy grew by 2 and 2.1 percent respectively.

The Dutch economy will show solid growth again this year, though it will be weaker than in 2016, ING's Economic Bureau predicts in estimates published on Friday. The bank expects 1.6 percent growth this year, compared to 2.2 percent last year, ANP reports.

The lower growth can partly be attributed to the housing market downshifting compared to the buoyant growth in the past few years. Turbulent world trade is also expected to lower exports this year.

International studnets who stay and work in the Netherlands after graduating provide 1.57 billion euros per year to the Dutch economy, according to calculations by EP-Nuffic based on figures from the government. An estimated 25 percent of international graduates stay in the Netherlands for the restof their lives, ANP reports.

Almost 75 thousand international sstudents are registered for a full degree at a Dutch university of college. Tey have 161 different nationalities.